Fiber optic technology presents several advantages which cannot be provided by other technologies. For example, fiber optic communication systems provide immunity from electromagnetic interference (EMI), provide virtually unlimited bandwidth, and provide that data can be quickly transferred over long distances.
Typically, connectors are used within optical fiber communication systems. For example, connectors are used to join optical fibers together to form a longer length, or to connect an optical fiber to a device. Generally, an optical fiber connector must provide that the end of one optical fiber becomes axially aligned with the end of another optical fiber. As a result, after the connection is made, all of the light from one optical fiber can travel into the other optical fiber. Because optical fibers are extremely small and because it is important that no data be lost at the point at which two optical fibers are joined, it is important that an optical fiber connector be able to join two optical fibers with a relatively high amount of accuracy and precision.
Fiber optic connectors are often used in environments where there are many loose and/or hanging wires, such as copper conductor wires or other optical fibers. Examples of such environments include a patch panel, a patch enclosure and an electrical closet. Within environments such as these, it is advantageous to provide a connector which is not prone to entanglement on the wires. Tanglement with wires during connection or disconnection of a connector can provide that the wires become damaged or some portion of the connector becomes damaged.
Fiber optic connectors are also often used in high-traffic environments, such as on a desktop. Using a connector to connect optical fibers within a high-traffic environment requires that the connector be durable enough to withstand the environment.
Of course, it is also desirable to provide an optical fiber connector where the connector includes as few parts as possible and is relatively inexpensive to produce. Unfortunately, some SC connectors are comprised of as many as forty-five individual parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,634 is among the prior art, and discloses a connector comprised of relatively few parts and is presumably relatively inexpensive to provide. However, the connector disclosed therein also provides some disadvantages which are addressed by the present invention.
The connector disclosed in the '634 patent includes a latch member which facilitates connection of a housing to an associated receptacle. The latch is essentially a rearward-facing cantilever beam. In other words, the front end of the latch is connected to a front, entry-end portion of a housing, and the latch extends rearward on the housing such that the rearward end of the latch is suspended and spaced-apart from the housing. Because the rearward end of the latch is spaced-apart from the housing, the latch is prone to entanglement with wires upon engagement or disengagement of the connector with the associated receptacle. Therefore, the connector disclosed in the '634 patent is not ideal for use in environments where there are many loose and/or hanging wires such as which can be found on a patch panel, in a patch enclosure or in an electrical closet.
Additionally, the connector disclosed in the '634 patent is not ideal for use in high-traffic environments, such as on a desktop. The fact that the rearward end of the latch of the connector is suspended and spaced-apart from the housing provides that the latch is prone to being accidentally and periodically forced away from the housing in a direction opposite to that for which the latch was specifically designed. Hence, in high-traffic environments, the latch of the connector disclosed in the '634 patent may break off the housing or become ineffective due to the repeated flexing away from the housing. Therefore, the connector will no longer be able to be used to effectively terminate an optical fiber.
Still other disadvantages presented by the connector disclosed in the '634 are specifically addressed by the present invention.
Many of the problems discussed hereinabove with respect to optical fiber connectors are also applicable to connectors for connecting conductor wires together, such as connecting copper conductor wires together. As will become apparent, the present invention may also be embodied as a conductor wire connector.
Generally, the present invention is specifically directed to overcome at least some of the difficulties discussed hereinabove as well as others which should become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following disclosure.